change is effected, a student's academic record will be evaluated.
Entrance into certain majors may be subject to enrollment constraints.
In order to be eligible to declare a new major, a student generally must
be in good standing, must meet program requirements, and the change
must be approved by the dean of the school housing the program to
which the student wishes to change. International students must comply
with INS regulations regarding change of major.
Students enrolled in the General Studies curriculum should select an
appropriate major during their second or third semester, and certainly no
later than the end of their second year at the University. General Studies
students should consult with their advisors and placement counselors
before applying for a major change.
Students are expected to follow their program of study outlined in the
catalogue in effect at the time of their admission to that program.
Students who transfer to a new program or who interrupt their program
of study for a period exceeding one calendar year and are subsequently
reinstated will be expected to meet the requirements of the program in
effect at the time of their transfer or reinstatement.
Students changing from one major to another may discover that some of
their credits are not applicable to the curriculum of the new major.
Because most curricula require a sequence of courses, it is advisable to
make application for a change of major after completing no more than
60 credit hours.
Class Attendance Policy and Procedure
Policy
1.
Students are expected to attend each class meeting in its entirety.
Faculty members shall maintain a record of classroom attendance.
Each student is responsible for verifying his or her attendance when
arriving late to class and/or justifying early departure.
2.
Class absences are excused for medical reasons, university activi-
ties approved by the appropriate vice president or designee, and/or
for personal exigencies. University activities appropriate to be con-
sidered as an excused absence include but are not limited to: sched-
uled athletic events, cultural events, academic competitions, etc., in
which the student is a participant. Other appropriate situations
include: military duties, auto accidents, death in immediate family,
medical emergencies. Verification of such absences may be
required by the instructor, and the student is responsible for make-
up work as required by the instructor.
3.
A student, who has been recognized by an individual faculty mem-
ber as potentially benefiting from learning experiences which com-
plement regular classroom attendance, may contract with their
instructor for a mutually agreeable alternative to regular classroom
attendance.
4.
Faculty members are encouraged to consider class attendance in
their grading. A student shall have the privilege of unexcused
absences equal to the number of classes held in a week, or to one
absence per credit hour, whichever is less.
Procedure
1.
All faculty shall keep attendance records.
2.
Faculty shall notify students in writing within the first week of the
semester or the equivalent time during the summer sessions, of the
grading consequences of class attendance/non-attendance.
3.
A student may negotiate with the course instructor for an individu-
alized participation agreement which must be executed in writing
with a copy to the student and the original retained by the faculty
member. The original will be maintained for a period of not less
than one calendar year after the final grade is awarded.
4.
It is the responsibility of the student to provide to the instructor, in
advance when possible, justification for all absences.
5.
A student participating in an official university activity shall obtain
a letter from the appropriate vice president or his/her designee
authorizing the absence and provide it to the course instructor, in
advance.
6.
A student with an excused absence shall arrange with the course
instructor for make-up work.
7.
The course instructor is encouraged to consider class attendance in
determining the final grade. When a student exceeds the allowable
number of unexcused absences, the instructor shall indicate this on
the final grade report to be recorded on the student's official aca-
demic history.
Student Academic Load
I. DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR
The limits on the total course credit hours carried by a student each
semester are based upon the academic record of the individual stu-
dent and are as follows:
1. A normal full-time load is 12-18 semester hours.
2. Students who have an overall cumulative quality point average
of 2.00 to 2.99 may register for 12 to 18 semester hours.
3. Students who have an overall cumulative quality point average
of 3.00 or better may register for up to 18 semester hours, or
19-21 semester hours with the approval of the advisor, the
department chairperson and the academic dean.
4. Students who have less than a 2.00 cumulative quality point
average may register for a maximum of 16 semester hours.
Students may register for additional credit hours under exten-
uating circumstances provided that they have the approval of
their advisor, the department chairperson, and the academic
dean.
II. DURING SUMMER SESSION
1. Students normally take up to six semester hours (or eight if two
four-credit courses are taken) during a five or six week sum-
mer session and up to three semester hours (or four if one four-
credit course is taken) during a three week summer session.
2. Requests to take more than the normal number of credit hours
in any summer session should be made only under extenuating
circumstance, and must be approved by the student's advisor,
department chairperson and academic dean.
Procedure
An overload approval form is available from the departmental office. If
the request is approved by the advisor, the department chairperson and
the academic dean, the approval form is then submitted to the Office of
Records and Registration for recording purposes. The same form is used
for all conditions covered under this policy.
Adding, Dropping and Withdrawal from
Courses
Students may add a course to their schedule during the "Add" period,
established each semester by the University. During the summer, no
class may be added after the first meeting of the class. Classes which
start at irregular dates during the regular academic semesters, may be
added up to the day the class begins.
During the first two weeks of a semester, or the equivalent period in a
summer session, students may drop courses from their schedule by mak-
ing application to the Scheduling Office. Courses dropped during this
period will not be entered on a student's academic record.
36/Academic Affairs Information